United Community Bancorp, Inc. has entered into an agreement to acquire Midland Community Bank based in Kincaid, Illinois. Midland Community Bank is a full-service community bank established in 1968 with two locations in the Christian County communities of Kincaid and Taylorville, with $66.9 million in assets as of March 31. “Midland is an excellent and […]
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Building permits – May 5 to May 11
HSHS St. John’s Hospital received a commercial remodel permit for 800 E. Carpenter St. Contractor is O’Shea Builders and the project is valued at $653,129. Springfield Southern Baptist Church received a commercial permit for 201 North Grand Ave. W. Springfield Southern Baptist Church is the contractor and the project is valued at $242,000. Carriage House […]
Hinshaw adds health care partner to Springfield practice
Katie Anderson has joined the health care practice group in the Springfield office of Hinshaw & Culbertson. Previously with Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen, she brings significant in-house experience at a hospital and regional health system, in addition to private law practice. “Katie adds significant knowledge of the inner workings and business considerations for health […]
Memorial Health names Drew Early as COO
Memorial Health has named Drew Early as its Chief Operating Officer, a newly created position that reflects the health system’s continued evolution. Early, who currently serves as CEO of Decatur Memorial Hospital, will assume responsibilities as COO while continuing to lead DMH until a new CEO is appointed. In this new role, he will partner […]
Potbelly opening May 13 on Springfield’s west side
Potbelly is opening a location on the west side of Springfield on May 13, which has been in the works for nearly three years. Rob Wilbern, a certified public accountant who also owned Robert’s Automotive and several other businesses in Springfield, announced in 2022 he had signed a franchise agreement with the parent company for […]
Hello Thailand to open in Springfield
China Express closed last month after more than two decades, but a new restaurant is already in the works to take its place on Toronto Road. Hello Thailand has signed a lease for the space at 1213 Toronto Road, located in a shopping center next to Pier 55 Lounge. “We just got the key from […]
New HSHS Central Illinois Market President and CEO
Hospital Sisters Health System has named Brian Brennan HSHS Central Illinois Market President and CEO. In addition to his market role, Brennan will also serve as the president and CEO of HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield. He will join HSHS on May 27. In this role, Brennen will oversee strategic and financial operations at […]
Harvest Kitchen + Bar expands hours, offerings
Harvest Kitchen + Bar held a soft opening in February, but the restaurant in Prairie Crossing has now expanded its menu and operating hours. “We’ve added a new dinner menu, which is completely different from the first menu we had focused on breakfast and lunch,” said Odette Yobal, who co-owns the business with her mother, […]
Prelude Kids Center opens in Petersburg
A new nature-based child care facility has opened in Petersburg. Located on 25 acres of woods and rolling prairie, owner Heather Brooks-Yuceta said she was inspired to open Prelude Kids Center, 417 Centre Drive, after she and her husband spent several years living and working in Sofia, Bulgaria. “Our then-18-month-old daughter was in a preschool that […]
Ratish Kumar accepts 2025 Humanitarian of the Year award
Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach biomedical engineer receives national award for global health work Ratish Kumar, a biomedical engineer at Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach, accepted the TechNation 2025 Humanitarian of the Year award at the annual MDExpo in Temecula, California, on April 16. Kumar was selected for the honor from nominees throughout the United States in […]
Pass the baton: Be a mentor worth following
My son signed up for track and field recently. Not to brag, but back in my day I anchored a state-qualifying, school-record-breaking 4×400-meter relay team. As my son lined up for his first attempt at the same race, I got to thinking about what it means to pass the baton. In today’s fast-paced and increasingly […]
The Lumpia House
The Lumpia House brings the vibrant flavors of Filipino street food to the heart of the Midwest. It’s quickly made a name for itself in the local dining scene and both novice and seasoned diners will find it delightful. The Lumpia House started out as a food truck. But its growing popularity led to the […]

